1977 is singer-songwriter Julie Kendall, an independent artist making alternative-pop music from Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Her self-produced, debut record, Nineteen Seventy-Seven, was nominated for a 2010 Juno Award. In anticipation of her next full-length release, Seaforth (due in 2012), Kendall is releasing a digital EP (out November 15, 2011) titled So is the Sea, to feature five songs from the sophomore 12” record.

Kendall and Brent Hough (Bellevue, Music Maul, and Purple Hill) recorded the songs on Nineteen Seventy-Seven during the winter of 2007 in her Toronto apartment, and rehearsal space. Kendall played keyboards, percussion, and bass on the recording while old band-mates shared the remaining instrumentation. Hough played guitar and bass, Jordan Bruce (Bellevue, Purple Hill) played drums, and Matthew Rubba (formally of Bellevue, and The Diableros) played drums, guitar, and bass. The collection of catchy numbers on the 12” record
was mixed by Alphonse Lanza (Azari & III) at his Parkdalian Sound Space, and mastered by Noah Mintz at Lacquer Channel Mastering in Toronto. Dean Torrence (Kittyhawk Graphics founding artist and legendary member of Sixties surf band Jan and Dean) blessed Kendall with permission to use pieces of his design of The Beach Boys album Love You (originally released in 1977) to create the cover art for Nineteen Seventy-Seven.

Kendall, and now husband, Hough, recorded the forthcoming album, Seaforth, during the spring of 2011 in Kendall’s hometown of Port Credit, Ontario, in a barn above her father’s workshop. Taking a more traditional approach for this album, Kendall played keyboards, Hough played guitar, Bruce returned to play drums, and Owen Marchildon (Purple Hill, The Tight Ship, and From Fiction) joined on bass. Kendall headed back to Parkdalian Sound Space for mixing, this time with Ian McGettigan (Thrush Hermit), and then to Montréal for mastering with Harris Newman at Grey Market Mastering. Kendall created the cover art for the So is the Sea EP from a photograph taken by her father, Stanley Kendall, in the family's backyard.

The band, which also includes Julie's sister Sarah Harris for live shows, have been previewing the album during sets at this year’s CMW and NXNE festivals, and with teasers on YouTube, gaining favourable reviews.